---
product_id: 1696355
title: "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir"
brand: "bill bryson"
price: "$33.15"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/1696355-the-life-and-times-of-the-thunderbolt-kid-a-memoir
store_origin: US
region: United States of America
---

# The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

**Brand:** bill bryson
**Price:** $33.15
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by bill bryson
- **How much does it cost?** $33.15 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1696355-the-life-and-times-of-the-thunderbolt-kid-a-memoir)

## Best For

- bill bryson enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted bill bryson brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Full description not available

## Images

![The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81B7GboVD0L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ a walk down memory lane…
*by M***N on February 18, 2025*

As someone who also grew up in the 50’s and 60’s, and from the midwest, this book evokes images of that simpler time, and a time of more innocence. Bill Bryson has a wonderful way with words and had me laughing out loud many times. What a delightful read!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An exaggerated trip down memory lane
*by F***R on March 26, 2025*

Bill Bryson writes about his younger self growing up in Des Moines, Iowa in the 1950’s. As one might expect, this “youthful autobiography” mixes reality with major doses of exaggerated childhood memories and some childlike imaginary flights of fancy (hence the “thunderbolt kid” part of the book title). Still, the book is nearly as much simply about life in general in the 1950’s (though often reimagined through a youthful, personalized lens).The closer your own youth matches that of living in the Midwest in the 1950’s, the more you will like this book. So I especially liked this book, but that’s because I am near the bullseye of Bryson’s target audience. Bryson was born in 1951 and grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. I was born in 1945, grew up in South Bend, Indiana and now live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. So much of what Bryson writes about the 1950’s are life experiences and events deeply embedded in my memory cells as well. And some of what Bryson writes about 1950’s Iowa (such as the traditional butter cow at the Iowa State Fair) is still a tradition here in Iowa.Bottom Line: This book is part history, part exaggerated autobiography and part childhood fantasy. But all of it has Bill Bryson’s trademark sense of humor.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ His Days Were Pretty Good Ones
*by G***N on March 8, 2025*

Mr. Bryson’s humorous, at times hilarious autobiography of growing up in 1950s Des Moines, Iowa should appeal to baby boomers everywhere, and quite possibly to everyone who grew up after television and in the shadow of the atomic bomb. “The most startling difference between then and now was how many kids there were then…Kids were everywhere, all the time in densities now unimaginable…” You don’t have to have grown up in Des Moines, or the even the Mid-west to appreciate Bryson’s account. I re-read his remembrance of the Dick and Jane books several times. There was, according to Bryson, “just one very odd thing about the Dick and Jane books. Whenever any of the characters spoke, they didn’t sound like humans.” When they arrive at grandma’s farm, Dick “seems to have a kind of mental stuck needle” and repeats certain assertions, had as though they were being announced for the first time. The book has its share of facts, some of them tragic. Racial injustice, the decline of the family farm, the failures of the education system and more are on touched in Bryson’s account. Still, the era had its moments, and Bryson memories are indeed fond ones: “What a wonderful world that would be. What a wonderful world it was. We son’t see its like again. I’m afraid.”

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir
- A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
- One Summer: America, 1927

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/1696355-the-life-and-times-of-the-thunderbolt-kid-a-memoir](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1696355-the-life-and-times-of-the-thunderbolt-kid-a-memoir)

---

*Product available on Desertcart United States of America*
*Store origin: US*
*Last updated: 2026-02-13*